AJWS gives voice to global Jewish commitment to end extreme poverty
New York, NY — American Jewish World Service (AJWS) announced today it is joining the World Bank Group and leaders from more than 30 faith-based organizations to launch a major global campaign, #faith2endpoverty. The initiative was officially launched at a teleconference media briefing on Thursday, April 9. AJWS, which works to end poverty and realize human rights in the developing world, is the leading Jewish international development and human rights organization.
While remarkable progress has been made in reducing global extreme poverty from affecting 2 billion people in 1990 to just under 1 billion people today, there is much more that can and must be done to eradicate it. In a unique partnership, the World Bank and faith-based organizations will use their own powerful research capacities and resources to identify and implement solutions.
“We are deeply gratified to join with the World Bank and 29 other faith-based organizations to end extreme poverty once and for all. We are obligated by Jewish values and the lessons of Jewish historical experience to improve the lives of every man, woman, and child living in extreme poverty,” Ruth Messinger, AJWS president, said. “As Jews and as global citizens, we cannot simply stand idly by as nearly a billion people suffer the horrific consequences of insufficient world action.”
The #faith2endpoverty campaign includes a statement of Moral Imperatives that acknowledges the faith-based community’s commitment to inspire others to join this effort; reasserts the beliefs that unify the world’s major religions in massive poverty-combating efforts; attempts to galvanize greater action from within the world’s faith communities; and seeks to construct a new paradigm of socially-inclusive and environmentally-sustainable economic growth that eliminates extreme poverty
“Faith leaders and the World Bank Group share a common goal—to realize a world free of extreme poverty in just 15 years,” World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said. “The Moral Imperative can help drive the movement to end poverty by 2030 by inspiring large communities to act now and to advocate for governments to do the same. These commitments from religious leaders come at just the right time—their actions can help hundreds of millions of people lift themselves out of poverty.”
About American Jewish World Service
Inspired by the Jewish commitment to justice, American Jewish World service (AJWS) works to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world. www.ajws.org
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